Baddies Are Better: Why We Love Supervillains So, So Much

Following Suicide Squad’s record breaking weekend at the Aussie box office, we asked our members: Why are we crazy about supervillains? Here's our favourite answer.

Supervillains: They’re constantly tormenting our heroes, burning cities to the ground and spreading fear everywhere they go.

And yet, we can’t get enough of them.

From the Joker to Lex Luthor, supervillains are just so much more fun than superheroes, as evidenced by their constant maniacal laughing. (I suppose when your biggest threat is a man wearing underpants over spandex, it’s hard not to laugh.)

But can we ascribe our adoration of them to mere depraved jolliness, or is there more to it than that?

We watch films for an escape from reality. Be that as it may, we don’t appreciate films that change too much of reality. (We can believe that there is an entire world in the middle of the Earth, but we find it hard to believe that Legolas looks older in the Hobbit prequels than in Lord of the Rings.)

If films want us to believe that their fictional world is similar to the real world, then it should be similar. The point is, our world is not black and white, so if we are to believe that superhero movies take place in a world similar to ours, then we should expect the same shades of grey in that world as in our own.

Further, if we are to identify with a character, then that character should have all the moral flaws of the average person… and the average person is no saint.

Don’t get me wrong, most people admire morality: It’s why we celebrate people who help others and it’s why the majority of people don’t go around robbing banks or dangling their enemies' love interests off tall buildings.

Though we look up to heroes, the bar set by individuals like Superman and Captain America is simply too high for anyone to aspire to. We need role models a little closer to our level; a little more… complicated.

When I think of a superhero, the first example that comes to mind is the sun god in spandex that is Superman. Now, Man of Steel did poorly in comparison to Deadpool in the box office. Yet, Superman is probably the most famous hero ever and most people had never heard of Deadpool until this year. How is that possible?

Well, maybe it’s because Deadpool is a bit of a bad guy (if I may call him a bad guy, on account of the wanton murdering and destruction of property).

Let’s face it: We are not all morally blameless super beings, jumping across continents, rescuing kittens from trees and helping kids with their maths homework, never doubting we are the absolute best gosh darn thing to land on this earth in an alien spaceship. We’re no Superman. Heck, we’re not even Spider-Man, stopping small time crooks and mutated villains alike with web-shooters and good old fashioned fisticuffs.

No, we are a lot more like the avocado-headed, self-contained, constantly cussing Deadpool; a man with a scarred face and a scarred heart, who worries he's not good enough for his lady, seeking revenge for personal injustice, feeling anguish and pain, and knowing that endless life is meaningless if you can’t share it with someone you love.

I’d say that’s why we like our baddies: Because they’re imperfect, and so are we - in a good way.

Congratulations to Troy for winning this writing challenge, answering: Baddies Are Better. Troy wins a $50 Westfield gift card for his submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!

Photo: Warner Bros.